Follow @ProcessReport on Twitter

If the only thing you know about Branch Rickey is his involvement in signing Jackie Robinson, then his shrewdness might be lost on you.

At that time in history, the Devil Rays were essentially a minor league team in a major league world. Once the winning started, the emotional paralysis faded. The moves were no longer coin flips in the dark, but critical decisions under the spotlight. Trading Huff in the middle of the 2006 season had little to do with the team’s final record of 61-101. Keeping him meant the team probably wins a few more games, but costs the Rays the top pick in the next draft (which became David Price). A game in the standings then was a matter of draft circumstances; a game in the standings now is a matter of playoff consequences. Only one game separated the 2010 Rays and the Yankees for the American League division title, just as it was one game that separated the 2006 Rays and the Kansas City Royals.